Semaphore



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. H HARRINGTON.

' SEMAPHOR E. No. 317,347. Patented May 5, 1885.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

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(No Modek.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.v

s. H. HARRINGTON. SEMAPHORE No. 317,347. Patented May 5, 1885;

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@QWWQ @1- (QM/W, MJflJ/Wn/ x040 y Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. HARRINGTON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

SEMAPHORE.

$PECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 317,347, dated May 5,1885.

Application filed January 26, 181-75. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. HARRING- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Semaphores,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved semaphore for railroads; and itconsists-of certain features of construction, novel parts, andcombinations of parts, hereinafter described and claimed.

The invent-ion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigurel is aview of the semaphore and operators house as seen by theengineer of an approaching train. Fig. 2 is a top view of the semaphore.Fig. 3 is a view of the semaphore, showing a side elevation transverseto that seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view of one of the arms and lens.Fig. 5 is a view of the lens-shield. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of thepost and the metal parts at one side at the point where the center shaftpasses through. Fig. 7 is a side view of the center plate, which isattached to the post.

The letter A designates the post, B and C the signal-arms, and B and Gthe signal-glass lens, each mounted on an arm, a, integral with andhaving position at a right angle to the signal-arm. A signal-arm and asignal-lens have position on each of two oppositesides of the post, andboth turn freely on the same center shaft, but are independent of eachother. The normal position of the signalarms is on a line projectedhorizontally from the post, and of the lens-arms is upright or standingdirectly over the center shaft, and these positions of both comprise thedanger or stop signal. When the arm-is turned down to a verticalposition alongside of the post, the engineer on an approaching trainwill understand that the road is open and that the train may proceed.

The signal-arms B and C are preferably wooden blades, each attached toan arm-plate, E, which has a pivot-hole, b, for the center shaft,b. Thearm-plate has on the inner side, or that side which sets next to thepost, a ringshaped face, a, which bears against a similar face, 0, onthe center plate, F. On the outer side of the arm-plate is a hub, e. Thearmplate carries the counter-weight d, which has sufficient gravity tooverbalance the arm and raise it and the lens from the turned-downposition to the elevated. The hole din the weight will have position infront of the white light of the lantern 1?, and expose it to view whenthe arm and lens are down at night. The center plate, F, has on one sidea round central boss, f, which on the opposite side is hollow, formingasocket, f. Ahole, f, is in the center of this boss for the passage ofthe center shaft,b. On the same side as the socket is the ring-shapedface c, before alluded to. Two of these-center plates are employed, onebeing attached on one side and one on the opposite side of the post A.The manner of attaching them is to first make a bore, f into the postfar enough to allow the round boss f to enter, and the flange f at eachside of the plate takes on opposite sides of the post. Screws f are thenpassed through the face of the plate into the post, and the centershaft, 1), passes through the holes f 2 of the bosses of the two centerplates and also through the post.

\Vhen the signal-arm is down to an exactly vertical position, thecounter-weight d isjuppermost and has no effect on the arm. Thisposition of arm and weight is maintaned by the ropes t z" and lever L inthe operators house when an approaching train is to be notified toproceed; but to assist in starting the signalarm in its movement to oneside, in case the rope or any of its connections should be broken, aspiral spring, 9, may be employed, as shown in Fig. 6. This spring 9 iscoiled around the center shaft, 1), and has one end fastened there toand occupies space in the socket f, and the other end is fastened to thearm-plate E.

The arrangement is such that the tension of the spring will tend toimpart a rotary motion to said arm-plate, and thereby start thesignalarm to one side and the counter-weight to the other, where thegravity of the counterweight will take effect on the arm and raise it,thus, if any of the signal-operating parts be broken, assuring thepresentation of the stop signal.

It will be understood that the signal-arm and lens have movement to theextent only of a quarter-revolution. A grooved pulley, h, is formedaround the ring-shaped face 0 on the arm-plate, and the ropes 13 t aremade fast thereto in any suitable manner, one rope depending from thegroove at one side and one at the other. The direction of these ropes ischanged from a vertical to a horizontal by two pulleys, G, secured 011the side of the post. After passing under these pulleys the rope leadsto the operators house, where, as already stated, they are attached to alever, L, one rope, i, being made fast at one side of and at a certaindistance from the lever-pivot m, and. the other rope, t",'at the otherside of the pivot and at the same distance therefrom. By thisconstruction both ropes are kept taut, and whichever way the handle a ofthe lever may be moved one of the ropes will be drawn, thereby thesignals (the arm and lens) are raised and also lowered by the positiveaction ofa drawing-rope. The lantern is placed directly on top of thepost. In this position the necessity of a bracket to support the lanternis obviated and a lensarm, a, projecting independent of thecounter-weight d may be used, thus differing from the lens andcounterweight shown in my Patent No. 304,928, dated September 9, 1884.Since the lens-arm is a dis tinct part, it is practicable to curve it asshown in Fig. 3, thereby bringing the lens somewhat nearer to thelantern, and consequently admitting of a smaller-size lens with the sameeffect as a larger one when farther from the lantern. This is moredesirable, besides being cheaper. This particular position of thelantern and the signal-arm having alensarm at a right angle theretoenables the blades of both arms to be equally long, giving a bettersignal without increasing the counter-weights-an advantage not possessedas the lens is arranged in my patent before referred to-and,furthermore, enables the counter-weight, lens-casting, and arm-plate onone side of the post to be exactly like those on both sides, whereby asingle pattern serves for the production of both; whereas, when thelantern is at one side of the post, as heretofore, the lens on one sidemust-of necessity have a different position in the casting than it hason the other side, as shown in the patent referred to. A shield 01'pocket, J, for the signal-arm when turned down, is attached on the sideof the post. This consists of a board wide enough to cover the said arm.Said board is attached so as to leave a space, 70, between it and thepost. This space receives the signal-arm. The signal-arn1 is designed tobe painted red, while the shield will be white. The shield thereforewill prevent the exposure of the signal-color. A spring, g,

is arranged and secured within the shieldpocket in such manner as tobear on the edge of the signal-arm when the latter is in theshieldpocket. The tendency of this spring q is to press the signal-armand start it out of the pocket. The ropes t z" will keep the arm in thepocket, notwithstanding this tendency of the spring. This spring q andthe spring acting directly on the arm-plate, serve substantially thesame purpose. Either or both may be used, but where the shield or pocketJ is employed the spring q ordinarily would be preferred. A

lens-shield (see Figs. 2 and 5) consists of a plate of sheet metal, 5,large enough to hide the lens from view. A shank, 8, projects laterallyfrom the lower edge of the plate and has a right-angle bend, s, which ismade fast to the post A. When the lens is turned down to a horizontalposition,its curved arm a crosses above the shank s of the shield, andthereby the red-glass lens takes position back of the shield s, which ispainted white. .In this description thus far, except where the lanternis referred to, one side of the semaphore, the signals on one side, andparts connected therewith have been described. It will now be understoodthat both sides are alike, a complete semaphore for two railway-trackscomprising a duplication of the mechanism and devices described. Aladder, R, is made fast to the post and serves to approach the signalsor lantern.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States- 1. The combination of a post having in oneside a bore, f, a center plate, F, having on one side a boss providedwith a hole, said boss occupying the bore in the post, a center shaft,b, passed through the hole in the boss and through the post, and asignal-arm mounted on the center shaft, as set forth.

2. The combination of a signal-arm pivoted to partially revolve in avertical plane, a counter-weight on the end of the arm, and aspringfixed in position for the arm to bear directly on it when said arm isturned down to a vertical position, as set forth.

3. The combination of a post, a lantern directly on top of the post, acurved arm pivoted to the post and provided with a glass lens, as setforth.

4. The combination of asignal-arm provided with a counter-weight andpivoted to partially revolve in a vertical plane, a shield or pocketinto which the signal-arm may enter, and a spring in the pocket to startor move the arm therefrom, as set forth. A

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL ll. HARRINGTON.

-Witnesses:

O. G. Govmm, E. A. Dawson.

IICZ

